


Priestess of the Dragon

by drunkonpancakes



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's
Genre: F/M, Guns, Gunshot Wounds, I'm Bad At Tagging, KaibaCorp, Lovers to Friends, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Swearing, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2018-09-10
Packaged: 2019-06-09 06:45:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,550
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15261699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drunkonpancakes/pseuds/drunkonpancakes
Summary: Kaiba Corp. seems to be the center catalyst for everything good and bad. The fact it's young CEO has the "body" dragon sign on her arm has Godwin in a very good position of power to make all the calls to bring the Signers together, bringing forth the Crimson Dragon for his own benefit. However, Rinai Kaiba is no pushover. With Jack Atlas as the face of dueling for Kaiba Corp., and her secret persona for testing equipment, no curse prophesy can stop Yusei and the Signers from saving the Satellite.Canon semi-divergent story. Insert into the canon anime series a female CEO of Kaiba Corp. who is also a signer. Following the plot, dialogue and the scenes from the actual anime, insert OC character.Starts Jack x OC and becomes Yusei x OC





	1. Chapter 1

_**Prologue: Blood Red Moon** _

The streetlights along the roadside winked by, as the red sports car sped past them in a blur. Young blue eyes drooped in the back seat with exhaustion from the day previous. _‘Why were they driving so early?’_ the small child wondered, no older than five. Her mother and father frantic in the front seat, agitated and fearfully quiet.

"Faster, Darling!" The young woman begged the driver, desperation in her quiet voice.

He turned to her for a second, eyes full of trepidation, before jolting his eyes back to the front. "It's raining too hard..." He whispered, taking a sharp corner. The child clutched her stuffed bear to her chest tears starting to fall, feeding off her parent’s anxiety.

"They're closing in…" the woman turned round frightfully, her red streaked, ebony black hair falling in her eyes. Normally she was the fearless one, so she had to be brave for her child. She forced a smile and spoke softly to her crying daughter trying to soothe her. Another sharp turn had her turning back around in her chair, resolve gone and her mind set on what had to be done now. With shaking hands she quickly opened the glove compartment and pulled out a fist-sized locked black box.

"What are you doing?" The man asked with gritted teeth as he accelerated faster, the headlights of the vehicle behind brighter in his rear-view mirror.

"I was hoping it wouldn’t have to be this way - that we could find another solution in time." She replied tearfully to her husband.

"Everything is going to be okay, Rinny." Her mother whispered, as she tried to hold back tears, turning back to her child with a lovingly sad smile. "Mother wants to see Mr. Bear for a moment. Would you give him to me?" Clutching the bear tighter, the child began to protest eyes squeezed tightly together.

“Give your bear to you mother, Rinai!” Her father bellowed, blue eyes never leaving the road. The brunette allowed himself only a few glances in the rear-view mirror to see his only child crying fearfully, but safe, for the time being.

She regrettably handed her favorite stuffed animal over to her mother. With the already opened black box in hand, she pulled up the bear’s shirt and opened the hidden pocket covered in layers of fur. She took the only two contents of the box and placed them inside before handing the stuffed animal back.

Curiosity overpowering her fear, Rinai reopened the hidden pocket and pulled out the only contents: two Duel Monster Cards, Scarlet Dragon and Ancient Fairy Dragon. She scrunched her nose at the card on top with its design of a twisting red and gold dragon, putting it back in the bear.

“You are beautiful.” She whispered to the second card before tucking it under her precious bears shirt, missing the hidden internal compartment, and hugged the animal close.

"Mother…" The dark vehicle hit the back bumper of the sports car making it start fishtailing. The child cried out in pain, head crashing against the window, and the woman and driver whipped forward with an agonizing cry. Finally gaining control of the car once more, the husband and wife shared a look of terror whispering quick endearments, before the car was hit again, and flipped skidding down the hillside, before coming to a halting stop.

The man clutched his brunette bangs feeling the blood running down his face. “Take off your seat belt Rinai, and get ready to run.” He ordered and he shook his wife to conscious. She opened her eyes, blood pouring out her nose, and immediately turned and saw her daughter huddled on the floor. “It’s our only chance…” he whispered helping his wife out of her seat belt after undoing his own with already bruising fingers urging his child to move so he could grab her.

“We will always love you, Rinny.” Her mother exclaimed tortured as both of the adults finally opened the crushed doors with as much force possible and jumped out child in his arms, and stuffed bear in hers.

A shot rang through the air, and the woman fell, letting out a choked sound before falling into mud, the bear still held tight in her grasp.

He cried out for his wife. The brunette knew he couldn’t stop, but still he ran to his lifeless wife and cried ripping the bear with its hidden cargo from her arms. His very soul cried knowing he had to leave her there even as his child screamed for her.

A bright light shone near them, and with his child now clinging to her bear tightly in his arms, the brunette took off in a run. “Don’t let go of that bear, Rinai. What it holds inside they must never get.” He demanded, trying to force himself with his damaged body to keep moving hidden for now with the moonless night.

Another shot rang in the darkness and he suddenly collapsed, dropping his daughter in the process. Blood seeped from his wound as the child maneuvered over to his body grasping at him. “Run. Run Rinai!” he gasped clutching at his leg as he tried to get up. A sudden light was upon them, and another shot rang out. Blood seeping from his chest, he slumped over.

Barely able to see in the light, Rinai’s eye’s opened wide seeing her father’s lifeless body, and felt her body moving on its own away from him at high speed, bear held tightly to her person.

The light followed her as she tripped in the mud tumbling to a stop. A final shot rang through the night and she let out a scream dropping the stuffed animal, the ‘Ancient Fairy Dragon’ card slipping from under its shirt revealing itself. The child clutched her shoulder, blood pouring from the wound.

The sound of boots squishing in the mud made the young girl lift her head and see a large man in a black cloak. "You're poor parents couldn’t run from us and hope to live," he laughed. “It’s too bad really. Their idea to run would have been smart if we didn’t have guns.” His smirk widened as he saw the Duel Monster Card peaking out from the muddied toy’s clothes. He bent forward and snatched up the bear.

"NOO!" She screamed, remembering her father’s words, as she tried to launch herself in his way and splattered in the mud.

The cloaked man scoffed. "It seems I have what I wanted," He said as he threw the bear a few meters away carelessly. "At least one of them." With bloody blonde bangs and ebony muddied locks, Rinai tried to be brave and glared at him from her fallen position in the mud, even while fear claimed her very soul.

"You wouldn't know where the other is, would you child?" His voice was sinister and sent chills through her but she continued glaring silently.

"Foolish child," he growled as he grabbed Rinai by her nightgown, sneered, and threw her back down. "Heh, I guess that's hereditary. Your parents were fools too." He spat in her face. "Still, too bad you don't know anything." He spoke coldly.

"You're parents sacrificed themselves for you to live, how foolish of them." the man sneered pointing his gun towards her muddied figure before putting it back down. "I don’t think I will kill you. I feel fate has something big in store for you." He smiled a horrific smile. "One day …yes one day, you will find the darkness in you. And child you will find your rightful place among the chosen ones. That is your fate!" He laughed a sinister laugh as he left.

Fear finally taking hold, Rinai cried into the dawn clutching at her broken and bleeding body as the sun began to rise in the sky.

_My parents. They’re dead._

* * *

 BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

The alarm clock woke the only room’s occupant with a start. Fumbling for the off button, she lazily threw off the covers and twisted out of the king bed. With head pounding and body drenched in sweat, the teenager sighed to herself rubbing at her eyes.

_That nightmare again..._

Rinai toed on a pair of light blue fuzzy slippers and threw an overcoat over her small frame forcing her arms through the sleeves and slipped out of the bedded area into the rest of her spacious master suite.

"Good morning Mother, Father." She smiled at their photo hanging on the wall.

Even though her parents had died when the girl was five years old and she now could barely remember them, she sometimes still missed them both terribly.

Especially after a night of tortured subconscious reminiscing.

Now thirteen years later, even with all her Uncle’s money and all his connections, law enforcement still had not arrested the criminals responsible. The news had reported that the five-year-old Kaiba Heiress had lost a lot of blood and had been found unconscious in the mud by another car that was driving to work the next morning that has spotted the crash and disturbance around the vehicle. Her parents were found not far from her, shot to death.

Glancing in the mirror besides the photo the young heiress smiled seeing the same blue eyes staring back that her father once had, and his father as well: a hereditary trait it seemed. After finger combing through her blonde, wavy bangs and black length, she rubbed at yesterday’s makeup frowning. Pulling out a compact from the pocket of her robe, the adolescent dabbed her cheek to the same perfection she did every morning, covering the horrible yellow markings that she was still slightly ashamed to have from her younger preteen years of rebellion against her Uncle’s constant pressures of being a Kaiba. Now that he was no longer alive to harass her with etiquette and business lessons, and she now in his place running the company, Rinai understood why he was the way he was. You had to act a certain way to be able to fit the slot Seto Kaiba himself invented.

A sudden knock at her door startled her, and she called for them to enter, pocketing her makeup.

“Miss Kaiba,” A servant whispered with a bowed head. “Your breakfast is ready downstairs and your driver is ready whenever you are. You are up late my lady, so I suggest just haste.”

 


	2. An Illegal Affair with Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spoiler Alert: Episode 4-5

**_CHAPTER 1: An Illegal Affair with Fate_ **

The CEO of Kaiba Corp. sighed, putting her perfectly manicured hand under her chin.

_ This guy is nuts. Why did I let Goodwin hire him again? _

She arrived at three in the morning at the board room. The Director of Engineering on the Ener – D project had called an emergency meeting. Now, normally she wouldn’t even show to this small gathering during the daylight hours. Normally, she’d sending a representative then read the reports later, but no one called the CEO of Kaiba Corp. at two AM to attend a meeting for no reason. The adolescent sat near the back trying not to draw too much attention to herself, watching Director Goodwin try not to scream at the insane scientist spinning on the floor.

“…It appears there’s more energy being produced by this generator than we ever thought was possible…” He laughed maniacally as he moved towards the red display screen, finally  ceasing spinning. While his eyes were clearly excited and focused, his black hair was a crazy spastic mess; which matched his brain perfectly. 

Leaning forward Rinai yawned as he blathered on, letting her eyes roam as she glanced at the other occupants that decided to show for such a performance. Some were looking on with skepticism, others with keen interest, and some were just trying to stay awake, coffee mugs in their hands. Catching Goodwin’s eyes for a second, she nodded to show she was actually listening to this idiot...genius...

A tall woman in a business suit suddenly appeared at the door way and quietly made her way to The Director’s seat and whispered something in his ear. The young Kaiba watched with interest, recognizing her as Jack Atlas’s handler. Goodwin’s eyes opened wide and he dismissed himself quickly.

_ Curious… _

Giving a polite bow of her head and a blank expression placed on her face, she also excused herself before walking briskly to catch up with the two. She would read the notes on this later...during daylight hours.

“What’s going on? I know the guys a looney, but that might have been important information.” the Heiress chuckled slightly as she briskly followed them, trench coat flaring out behind her and heels clicking against the floor.

“Director, Miss Kaiba, I um…” Mikage started, tugging at her business suit jacket, before proceeding to tell them, not too articulately, that Jack Atlas was missing.

Rinai’s eyes became wide, as the Director went off on the bluenette, holding her personally responsible if anything happened to him. Finally over the shock that Kaiba Corps. prized duelist had gone missing, the young CEO scoffed. “It wouldn’t be at all surprising to me if he went gallivanting off for a joyride. I told him that he needs to be more relaxed if he wants to win the upcoming Fortune Cup. He has a few more duels before then, and I think the stress is starting to get to him.”

“You of all people should be more worried about this.” Mikage said sternly as she stopped and turned around.

Halting in her strides, with a glare marking her otherwise blank expression, Rinai sneered. “My company sponsors Jack Atlas, which means we need him to  _ win _ . A stressed duelist is a  _ loosing _ duelist. I had him  _ gruelingly trained _ to be a winner. I am not letting his stress ruin everything.”

The handler bowed low in apology quickly and turned around swiftly continuing on with a slight shudder. They arrived at a back room with a giant computer showcasing various sized screens, where Lazar was waiting in his full clown-like uniform.

“My dear Mr. Goodwin, Miss Kaiba.” He bowed politely, “I see you brought the trouble maker, well lucky for her we found him.”

“It’s that Satellite Duelist, Yusei Fudo!” Goodwin knowingly exclaimed somewhat perturbed.

_ Yusei Fudo… _

“But Sir I thought it was highly illegal to duel against a Satellite Duelist?” Lazar asked sarcastically.

_ How do I know that name? _

“What we see then doesn’t leave this room.” The young CEO demanded coming to her senses suddenly. “I will not have my prized duelist be a criminal.”

“I want to see how Jack handles on his own…” Goodwin started. Turning her head she stared at him.

_ Isn’t Jack on his own in all his duels…I stopped making fake duels and paying people to lose against him along time ago… _

The group watched the two duelists stride their bikes starting their engines on the largest of the screens.

“We shouldn’t let this go on.” Mikage declared suddenly. From her seat, Rinai agreed vocally glancing at The Director while brushing a straying blonde wave from her blue eyes. His face and posture was a perfect example of poise and seriousness as he stayed engrossed in the duel.

“There is no need for you to be concerned Miss Kaiba. This Satellite...he is nothing! I will have him arrested and that will put an end to all this silliness once and for all. And then we can ship this... Yusei... off to the Facility where he belongs.” Lazar quipped.

_ Yusei…I swear I know that name… _

The duel continued and the Satellite Duelist was holding his own against Jack fairly well.

“We really must stop this char ad. If the Paparazzi found out Jack was out dueling some Satellite, his reputation would be ruined,” Lazar said pointing out the obvious, suddenly agreeing that this needed to stop.

“I do agree Director. My stock holders cannot find out about this duel. When I convinced the financial advisors to sponsor him I had nothing to go on except your...” Rinai shared a knowing, exasperated look with Goodwin. “...Intuition… that Jack Atlas would be a winning Duelist. I cannot allow this to continue!” She demanded.

 

The Director just stood there staring at the screen. He was going to let this duel continue no matter what. The group turned their attention back to the view screen, once again angered by the elder man’s silence as they watched the Satellite, Yusei, take back his Stardust Dragon Monster onto his side of the field.

_ The Director must be waiting for something to happen… _

Lazar continued telling the Director that this couldn’t go on, but Goodwin, finally answering, told him to wait each time. Suddenly, a loud ringing broke through everyones concentration and The Mad Director of Engineering appeared on a side view screen, informing everyone that the Main Reactor was going crazy.

“Record all your findings!” Goodwin snapped back at him, eyes leaving the screen.

“Interesting.”  Everyone turned in Rinai’s direction. “I wonder if this duel has anything to do with the reactor…Director…” she insinuated glancing at him with a raised eyebrow. The Elder was silent, but Rinai caught an undeniable look of horrific pleasure at her understanding of the situation crossing his features for a brief second, that was missed by the other occupants of the room. 

 

A few turns later in the duel, and Jack found himself in quite the pickle. Yusei had him in a corner. Lazar chuckled, “Oh dear me. This is a risky strategy even for someone like Jack Atlas. He is either very confident, or very foolish, or maybe a bit of both. But either way this could end up embarrassing him.”

Jack’s Handler clutched her hands to her chest, eyes never leaving the screen. The CEO on the other hand, rolled her eyes. Lazar was a fool. He didn’t understand the concept of putting it all on the line to win. Only a true duelist knows that sometimes “All-In” is the only way to win.

_ Common Jack, you can beat this Satellite… _

A few turns later, a red glow streaked across the stadium.

“It’s a dragon!” Mikage murmured almost silent.

“I don’t know what I’m looking at! The Core Reactor is going crazy!!!” Crazy man himself was back on the side view screen. His antics were getting annoying. The duel continued, with Jack playing a Speed Spell and Yusei playing a Trap, before the power went out and the screen went blank.

“Who turned out the lights?” Lazar squeaked.

“The Main Reactor shut down. Good. Just like it’s supposed to if there is an overload. We don’t need another Zero Reverse after all.” The brilliant teenager smiled at her handiwork, for this new reactor had quite a few of the Kaiba Heiress’s own ideas built into its safety protocols.

“Oh, looks like we’ve switched onto the backup generator.” Lazar commented as the lights came back on. Crazy man came back on the screen and started blathering on about how the Reactor shut itself down in a huge power flux...and then broke.

_ Oops. Maybe that wasn’t the best safety protocol system I have ever designed… _

“Just do whatever you have to do to get power back to the city.” Goodwin snapped glancing in Rinai’s direction.

“What about Mr. Atlas?” Mikage looked to the Director with concern.

“Lazar, you’ll take care of this matter won’t you?” The greying man asked.

The clown-dressed man bowed slightly with a devious smirk before hurrying from the room.

Rinai followed him after bidding a good evening to the rest of the occupants in the room, nodding her head slightly in respect towards The Director. Walking down the hall she took a sudden turn and slipped into a side room finding the nearest computer terminal where she proceeded to hack the system to replay the last few minutes of the duel.

_ There was something going on right before the Crimson Dragon was summoned. I know I saw something… _

After watching the view back a few times the young beauty found what she was looking for.

“Yusei’s arm is glowing!” she exclaimed falling back against the chair. “Yusei’s…a Signer…” Rinai stared in awe at the paused frame where it was clear, even with the bad imaging feed, that Yusei’s right forearm was glowing a crimson red.

“Oh Goodwin, try not to have too much fun with this one. Yusei Fudo…I swear I know that name.” She scrunched her nose before deleting the video feed and walking out of the building to her waiting limo stepping inside before pressing a button above her head.

“Home.” She demanded of the driver listening to the phone ring as she slid up the divider.

 

“Miss Kaiba, it is very, very early.” A voice rang inside the car suddenly.

“I know Kenta, but this is important. I need you to do some digging for me.”

“At this hour, couldn’t it wait till morning Miss?”

“Kenta…” She sighed, rubbing a finger between her eyes.

“Who am I looking up?”

“A boy named Yusei Fudo. I want to know everything and anything about this Satellite.”

“You woke me up this early for a background check on a Satellite?” The male voice was not impressed.

“This is an urgent matter…and I don’t mind paying double what you normally ask if you can get me the information within the next 24 hours.” Sitting back trying to get comfortable, Rinai scratched at her right forearm.

“I think I just woke up.” the voice whirled.

She hung up on him and stared out the window, continuing to scratch, as the car passed through the darkened city.

_ I must know who this Yusei Fudo is…that name is so…familiar… _


	3. A Launch on Society

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What happened when Jack and Rinai first met? Also Rinai arrives in New York finally, and has a moment remembering the night previous with Jack at his apartment.
> 
> Thank You for the Beta my friend.

**_Chapter 3: A Launch On Society_ **

 

She always regretted every time she slept with Jack Atlas.

While quite pleasurable - almost intoxicatingly so - it always made her feel cheap, and as a Kaiba she was anything but cheap. However, it was a surefire way to get Jack to do exactly as he was told. Play on his insecurities and loneliness and you had a hole in one. He was so uptight with his high and mighty attitude all the time, that when he broke down, he  _ really _ broke.

Taking advantage always made Rinai feel like a terrible friend though.

The adolescent thought Jack very handsome when she first met him. Godwin had invited her to dinner saying that he had found Kaiba Corp’s next winning duelist. The Heiress had managed to somehow trip over her own heels while in the hall and the handsome blond duelist had caught her mid-fall. Rinai remembered staring into his lavender eyes and knowing from that instance that he was special.

Part of Rinai’s ruthless business practice was never signing anyone to an important position in the company before knowing them on a more personal level. So, the young CEO would invite the promising duelist for dinner at her own mansion, or out to a fancy restaurant throwing money around to see if that’s all Jack Atlas was after. For the most part in the beginning, he seemed uncomfortable in fancy suits, always eating everything that he was presented with. The youth would never complain, but his bright lavender eyes would widen at the fancy feast everyone presented him with. He wasn’t after money after all she decided. So, with Godwin’s letter of recommendation in hand, she spoke to her financial advisors and signed him.

She found him a bit uptight and could see Jack was unhappy about something even after he was signed to her company, something she found strange. For the first week, the duelist would come to Kaiba Corp. placing a hand on his white circular Duel Runner with a guilty look on his triangular face. Anyone who noticed and questioned him about his sudden change in attitude would receive a display of cold indifference and an off handed comment to mind their own business.

Rinai had witnessed him evolving those first few weeks, growing as a duelist and as an individual gaining a new sense of style. Watching him in training, the beauty found herself with a small crush, blushing when the blond duelist would address her after his sessions. His moves brilliant, as he put everything on the line. Even when he didn’t win against the simulations, anyone watching could tell Jack was a very skilled duelist. Slowly, the young Kaiba found herself entranced by his dueling spirit. Jack dueled with his very soul.

Godwin could have mentioned sooner that Jack Atlas was a Signer.

It was a drunken night their first time together. The Heiress had to admit to finding him easy to communicate with when they spent any unprofessional time together as he became one of the only people in the world she could call a friend. It was his coming out party, full of members of the press, showing off Kaiba Corp’s newest sponsored duelist. The party went late into the night as the press were absolutely grueling with their questions even at the after party.

As the banquet wound down and everyone left, she caught Jack sneaking out of the ballroom. Worried that he might have become overwhelmed and want out of the contract, she followed him out into the hall. She found the duelist leaning against a wall a few steps away a hand over his eyes.

“It’s going to be like that from now on you know. Whether you win or lose they will hound you. They’re _fucking_ _ruthless_ when they want to be. I hate the press but, dealing with them is something I have learned to do with great skill. I don’t mind finding you time in your schedule for a couple lessons on how to deal with those vultures.”

He dropped his arm to his side and gave her one of his rare, true smiles as he invited Rinai up to his room to talk. Knowing the reporters would get the wrong idea if they saw the young CEO and her new duelist together outside of business - just  _ another  _ couple of  _ hormonal teenagers _ \- going up on an elevator together was out of the question. He passed her a key and took the first elevator himself.

_ Oh, how I hate the press. _

Rinai kicked off her heels stepping inside his room, she saw him face first on the bed. “Spacious room Jack. I’m glad you're spending my companies dollars well.” 

He muffled back a response, face still pressed to the sheets.

“You ok, Jack?” she asked again, now that they were alone. He turned his head sideways and sighed, exhaling loudly.

“I never thought it would be like this. I knew I had to get out, but this...it’s just not what I imagined it being like.” The blond shoved off the bed before removing his suit jacket and pulled off his shoes. Sitting back on the bed Jack leaned back against the headboard. 

Pulling out the main pin in her updo, ebony black hair fell down Rinai’s back as she set her clutch on the table by the door. She fluffed her blonde bangs before tugging on them to do what she wanted, their waves uncontrollable. The teenager grabbed two beer bottles out of the fridge and sat next to him on the bed passing her friend one.

“You know, you never tell me anything about your past. Godwin had me create you a new history...”

“I grew up in the Satellite.” He stated after chugging half the bottle, lavender eyes staring at the left-over liquid.

“Yah, I kinda figured that out watching you in the beginning. I wasn’t sure, but I guessed.” The youth took a long swig of her own.

“He didn’t deserve what I did to him, for me to be like this…”

“It wasn’t your Runner was it? You didn’t ride it like you knew it well those first few trials. When designing one, you put a bit of your heart into it.”

“...” He took another long gulp.

“Hey you don’t have to tell me anything. I’m your boss right. I mean this,” She waved her hand between the two of them. “I like this. I don’t have many friends. I wouldn’t want to ruin it by pushing too hard like I have to do in all my other business transactions. I’d like to think of you as my friend...not just as my Sponsored Duelist.” Rinai gave him a small smile placing a soft hand on his arm, a blush starting to appear on her face as the alcohol started taking effect. Jack finished his beer and walked towards the fridge grabbing the rest of the 6 pack, finding a second box of six behind it. He was glad he asked for his fridge to be  _ stocked _ before he arrived at the hotel. 

Being rich had its perks. Like underage drinking….

Shuffling back over to the bed, the blond pushed another bottle towards her and she took it by the neck twisting off the lid after placing her own empty one on the side table.

After a long night of talking and a few too many shared bottles, Rinai woke the next morning lying naked next to an equally naked Jack Atlas. Her head pounded as she blinked before rubbing at her blue eyes sitting up to find their clothes tossed haphazardly around the room and beer bottles scattered on the floor. Looking at the alarm clock beside the bed, her eyes widened at the sight of an empty purple square wrapper that had been torn down the center. Heart pounding, she regrettably knew she had to leave. The blond duelist gave a groan beside her as he stretched and turned over to look at her, his own lavender eyes widening.

“We…”

“Yah...I think so…” 

The awkward silence that followed, was filled by the young Heiress finding her bra at the base of the bed and hooking it into place before she shuffled around the room pulling on the rest of her clothes. Her eyes caught the mirror in the bathroom and with a gasp, she immediately ran to it grabbing her clutch to fix the smearing of her makeup covering her marked cheek. Head still pounding she grabbed one of the glasses by the sink and downed a cup of water before hanging her head and pushing against the counter a tear threatening to fall from her eye. 

He called to her suddenly and she stepped out of the bathroom.

“Jack we...last night…” The look of regret on his face made her sigh again as she turned to face him, slipping on her heels.

“Look. I’m the head of a global company. I don’t have friends, I have advisors and associates. You are a very skilled duelist and I don't want to ruin this chance for you. But at the same time, you are one of the only people in my life I want to be friends with. I kinda like this feeling of companionship we share. I don’t want sex to be the reason I can’t spend time with you anymore outside of work. We were having fun before we drank too much. You really were amazing at the party.” She turned towards the door suddenly blushing bright red. No, she couldn’t let him see the small betrayal of her body portraying her crush.

He snorted loudly closing his eyes and clutching his forehead. “Well...you’re right of course. You really change behind closed doors Rinny.” he smiled calling her by a nickname that she only allowed those closest to her to use. She turned back around against her better judgement, blank expression on her face as she took a small step away from the door. “You lose that dark atmosphere you keep close to you and become quite pleasant to be around.” he finished rubbing at his temples.

“That’s only for a very select few, Jack. I have to been seen as a ruthless Business Professional after all.”

“Yes, but...” He started, pulling on his pants he grabbed off the floor. “If I win duels...we can celebrate right?” His shyness gone, he smirked his Jack Atlas egotistical smile towards her. “I mean that part was fun too…”

“Jack…”

“Let’s just make it that then. I win and you owe me. After all, I’m your _Prized_ _Duelist_ now. Friends or not, you owe me when I win _..._ _as my boss_.” He finished, his eyebrows rising and smirk growing.

So, from that day onwards, he dueled in the spotlight. The two teenagers had an...exhilarating...non professional life. Rinai would console him when he lost and spend the night when he won. Godwin, unknowing of their less than orthodox deal, convinced her that Jack losing, even on the few occasions, was making the company look bad. The advisors agreed, and so the young CEO started paying people to lose against him in the arenas. 

While her heart still hammered occasionally when he would whisper in her ear after yet another win, his cocky attitude and ego were getting the better of him and she found her crush lessening as the weeks past. It became even more of a problem when with his constant winning, it started to seem like an emotional relationship was forming between the two with all the nights they spent together.

In the beginning, they would have to fight off the press when leaving his apartment in the morning. As Kaiba Corp’s last duelist had forcibly been retired, and Jack was brand new with no back story released to public, the vultures hounded him. It took a lot of HR to get the papers to stop printing lies about the two of them being in a real romantically attached relationship. Even to Rinai, it seemed to be heading that way, but she never got the impression that Jack wanted more than the slightly less than platonic friendship they shared. Still, sometimes the youth found herself wondering how it would have been had she given into her crush starting an actual boyfriend/girlfriend relationship with Jack and it not just being ‘victory’ sex.

As she continued paying the opponents to lose to him, and the press got too involved, she eventually had to take their nights alone as no longer applicable victory parties, though she never revealed to him the actual reason why. Jack Atlas could never know his victories were faked. So Kaiba Corp. starting upping his pay with his sequential victories as he truly became a Dueling King in the eyes of the public, his ego becoming a defining personality trait. During one particular dueling interview after a gruesomely close victory - one that the young CEO glared at as Jack’s opponent seemed to not be following her rules of letting Jack win -  Rinai’s own aging grandfather removed the Game King title from his own identity and placed it on Jack. 

That was when she knew it was time to stop paying people to lose against him. Jack Atlas was winning on his own.

As the Kaiba Heiress currently sat on a plane destined for the United States, staring out at the ocean, anime on pause, she wondered if Jack truly had dueled that day. He said he would, he wasn’t happy about it…but after their enthusiastic romp, something they hadn’t done in months, he seemed to be feeling slightly better about the idea. Sitting alone, she couldn’t figure out if she was agitated...or elated at the way her skin still pleasantly tingled after the event, even after all this time. 

As the plane landed on the New York air strip, she could already see the press waiting. When Rinai was finally free of her seat, the youth called a flight attendant to help her smooth the wrinkles from her dress and hold a mirror for her to fix her hair and makeup. Before the door opened she slipped on a pair of dark sunglasses and fixed a vacant expression on her face. Having been to New York enough times to know how crazy the reporters are, she took a deep breath as the plane door was opened.

Bulbs flashed the second she stepped off the plane. Microphones and cameras were stuffed into the young CEO’s face as she descended down the last few stairs. At the bottom she stopped and a placed a small diplomatic smile on her face. English, while not her first language, was Rinai’s next best. About half of ‘Miss Scarlett’s’ songs were mostly sung in English, as Kamiko decided it would help her travel more undetected as she gained a larger audience. 

_ What am I going to do when Kamiko truly leaves my side for a Partnership position here in the States? _

“Thank you all for such a warm welcome! I have so much business while here I’m sorry to not be able to give anyone a full interview right away. I’m sure if you contact Kaiba Corp. Headquarters here in New York, something short can be set up. Domo Arigatou.” Rinai finished while giving a proper Japanese bow and continuing pushing forward with a blank expression, through the wall of reporters blocking her path.

After she entered the limo and shut the door, the divider slid down.

“Hello again Miss Kaiba, where to?” Greg Stillhouse, her ever faithful driver, smiled. Wherever The Kaiba Heiress told him to meet her, no matter where in America, he would be. He flew on the companies’ dollar, no matter what her financial advisors tried to convince her otherwise as she wouldn't be driven by anyone else.

“Try to lose the paparazzi first, Greg. Then let’s transfer to the other vehicle. ‘Miss Scarlet’ has a Duel Runner to rent in Manhattan. If that’s not possible, just take me to the hotel. Arigatou.”

The aging man scoffed slightly turning back around and started the car. “Have you forgotten my abilities in your absence, Child! I can lose anybody in any state, in any city! This smog filled shit hole they call the Big Apple is no problem for me!”

She grinned at his retort. Every single one of Kaiba Corp’s employees, except for a select few, were always over polite to their young CEO knowing that her anger rivaled that of her grandfather’s, Seto Kiaba. 

Rinai Kaiba was not to be trifled with.

Greg, however, was one of those select few individuals she was unable to fire as she enjoyed his little bouts of ‘American Insolence’ every now and again. It definitely was a nice change of pace.

Her driver noticed his charges’ true smile in the rearview mirror and gave a resounded “hmmfff”, looking back at the road and speeding away.

“Arigatou, Greg. Thank you.” Rinai smiled warmly.

“Konnichiwa, New York.” the Heiress deadpanned glaring out the window seeing the skyline for the first time in what seemed like years, even though it was only a few months ago she was here promoting Misaki. The youth truly hated this city with all its useless traffic and dirty streets filled with too many rude American people that had no respect for anything or anyone. 

Rinai winced realizing she was in no place to judge considering her actions the night previous to her only friend.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much to my Beta Reader @Chimamiee-Hissori. 
> 
> As stated in the intro, I am watching all the episodes to do a true insert character and follow almost exactly the same timeline of the anime. In fact, I am adding lines from both the Japanese and the English Dialogue as well just to make it even more legitimate.


End file.
